Deep valleys and caves, snow-covered mountains, rugged volcanic coastlines and turquoise water, often just minutes apart: Crete - Greece's biggest island - offers a huge variety of scenery and experiences. There is so much to see and do that the mere week we spent there was barely enough to scratch the surface. Let's still try to take a look at the history, culture, and some of the gorgeous natural scenery.
Where to stay
Crete does not feel like an island, or rather it does not feel like one island: due to various mountainous areas the climate, landscape, and regional agriculture can vary a lot. We flew into Heraklion where we had our apartment for the week. While many might argue that the coastal town of Chania, about 150km west, would be the more picturesque location to stay, we quite liked the island's capital, which inhabits roughly a third of Crete's population. The cover photo of this post was taken from our balcony in Heraklion - it could be worse, eh? In hindsight I would advise against any single city as a permanent home base and would rather suggest to move from place to place after a night or two to take in the vibe and go exploring.
History - displayed and hidden
Crete was home to the Minoan civilization, the first advanced civilization in Europe, which left behind building complexes, tools and artwork all over the island. With the palace of Knossos in its center, the civilization prospered from the Early Bronze Age until it slowly started to decline in the centuries following 1.500 BC. The palace itself lies just a short drive outside of Heraklion and is usually a mandatory spot to visit during your stay. If you are approaching the palace from an archaeological perspective, however, you might be in for a bit of a disappointment. There is barely an article on Knossos that does not attach the label of it being the "Disneyland of archaeology", and it's hard to disagree. British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans treated Knossos to rather imaginative reconstruction: the columns aren't ancient, the vibrant frescoes are based on little more than a few square inches of the original completed with fantasy and brash confidence. The famous Dolphin Fresco for example, seen below, is thought to have originally come from a decorated floor rather than a wall, and the famous Horns of Consecration are a reconstruction. Throughout the site, there is an awkward tension between the use of reinforced concrete to create walls, sometimes complete with a roof, and the shapes and forms of the Bronze Age building. Nevertheless, it's still a fun site to visit. If you get the combo ticket, you can visit both Knossos and the Heraklion Archaeological Museum. The package costs only 1€ more than the entry fee for one of the sites.
The Minoan Period lasted from about 3500 B.C. to 900 B.C when Crete was the center of one of the leading civilizations in the Mediterranean. It was followed by the Archaic Period, then the Classical Period, which was itself followed by the Byzantine and Venetian Era. In the 17th century, Venice's power in the Mediterranean was waning, as Ottoman power grew. After 21 years (!) of siege Heraklion became part of the Ottoman Empire, and minarets and mosques were built all over the city. Crete became an autonomous state in 1898 because of intervention in favor of Greece by European powers and was united with Greece after the Balkan Wars. Little glimpses into Crete's colorful past can be found almost everywhere if you keep your eyes open. Just check out the Basilica of Saint Mark, one of the key Venetian monuments and directly opposite the Lions Fountain in the city center. During the Ottoman rule it was converted into a mosque, and the bell-tower was demolished to raise a minaret in its place. In their attempt to erase the unpleasant symbols and reminders of the Turkish occupation, the people of Heraklion tore down the minaret after the liberation of the island. The remains can still be seen, hiding away shyly in a dark corner next to the proud building.
Living quarters, graves, hippie homes
A day trip I can definitely recommend is Matala in the south of Crete. A safe natural harbor on the Bay of Messara, Matala features a hill with man-made caves, which were used for housing in the Neolithic period, as burial places during Roman times, and as living quarters again in the 60's when hippies inhabited them. For a small entrance fee, one can climb the hill and explore the many caves, which adorn it on several levels. It's not a difficult climb, but better leave your flip-flops at the beach for this one. The photo of Matala was taken from one of the caves - it also gives you an idea of how clean the water is. I found it a truly pleasant and relaxing town, despite an evident increase in tourism, which did not affect us much as we arrived in low season. The beach itself consists more of small pebbles than sand, but the overall atmosphere is excellent and the beach bars served some tasty smoothies. If you fancy Greek mythology, Matala is the spot where Europa stepped on Cretan earth riding Zeus in the guise of a bull.
The beach formerly known as pink
But I can't really scoff at them, as I was wielding my camera as well. Despite the many tourists and local visitors, one can find beautiful spots of quiet solitude by walking down the sandbar for a few minutes beyond the beach umbrella area. Beware: The soft breeze from the sea can make you forget that the sun is burning down on you viciously, as I found out to my cost.
Things to note:
Try wine tasting. Crete features mountain ranges, which together with the slightly tilted angle in which the island lies in the Aegean Sea creates different distinctive climate zones. These climate zones, the different soils and different types of local grapes result in a surprising variety of wine for an island of its size. As my birthday fell into my stay in Crete, my friends were so kind to gift me such a wine tasting event and we spent a few lovely hours drinking and eating our way through the various regional specialties. It really is surprising how different wine can taste when someone helps you by pointing out certain aromas, and when it is combined with the right food. Cretan wines are meant to accompany food. I found that while some of the wines seemed decent enough on their own, the full flavor only hits you when you simultaneously devour some cheese with the fitting jam.
Get a car. Crete is surprisingly big and offers a huge number of beautiful sights, which can be tricky to reach without a car. When you plan your trips, do not rely on kilometer/miles alone, as the winding roads can take much longer than you initially thought - for the same reason, have a good playlist ready. Avoid driving at night if you can. We found that many cars either have faulty headlights or drivers only use their upper beam, which in combination with the unlit roads can leave you temporarily blind.
Take your time. In hindsight, one week was not enough. There are many gorgeous and interesting spots to discover. After reading this article, I feel we missed out by not having had time to discover the lesser known east of Crete. Hopefully next time.